At the ANGA Cable show in Cologne, Thursday, interactive TV and conditional access technology provider, NDS, announced that it has secured the first deployment of its XTV DVR solution in Germany: Tele Columbus and PrimaCom, two independent German cable operators which work in tandem (and which, between them, have around 3.5 million subscribers), have selected the solution to launch what is billed as Germany's first cable HD DVR service. According to NDS, the new DVR service offered by the two operators will be based on a hybrid set-top box that incorporates an Ethernet connection, as well as dual cable tuners. The Ethernet connection will allow them to offer a range of on-demand broadband content, in addition to linear-TV channels.
Tele Columbus and PrimaCom are existing NDS customers: back in 2008 they selected the company's VideoGuard conditional access platform; and in February of this year, they selected its MediaHighway middleware. NDS says that the "full integration" between XTV, VideoGuard and MediaHighway will allow the operators to "swiftly launch new integrated service enhancements, seamlessly and with full security across all existing and future devices, making possible new innovations for viewers such as video-on-demand (VOD) or push VOD." The company also says that MediaHighway's open software architecture will allow them to easily integrate third-party interactive TV applications. "Having deployed VideoGuard content protection and MediaHighway middleware, we decided to also select NDS' XTV DVR technology as the logical complement, maximizing the capability of our infrastructure and service options for our subscribers," Tele Columbus and PrimaCom CEO, Marcus Schmid, said in a prepared statement. "XTV as the leading integrated DVR technology has already proved its success in millions of homes worldwide. We are thrilled to now be able to introduce the next-generation HD DVR viewing experience for our subscribers, and to continue working with NDS as one of our main digital technology partners." Added Yves Padrines, general manager of NDS GmbH: "We are gratified to announce with Tele Columbus and PrimaCom the first deployment for our XTV DVR technology in Germany. This extension of our existing relationship gives Tele Columbus and PrimaCom the ability to introduce a world-class DVR service for their subscribers now, and to launch other innovative TV viewing options. We look forward to the introduction of this exciting new DVR service and supporting Tele Columbus and PrimaCom in their upcoming initiatives."
According to NDS, its XTV DVR technology has now been deployed in over 19 million units around the world
